We spend a lot of our time working. In fact, according to studies by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD country workers clocked an average of 1.770 hours in 2014. That’s just over 221 8-hour working days. If the idea of spending all that time at the office has you heading for the nearest emergency exit, then you may be ready to give up the desk and chair for a more mobile approach to work.
Digital nomads take the idea of working remotely and run with it – literally. Instead of a home office, digital nomads work from internet cafes, trains, bars, and anywhere else around the world, often traveling and adventuring outside of work hours. Vacations don’t have to be a designated two weeks per year when you work from the same sunny beaches and exotic cities you want to explore!
Those looking to join the growing digital nomad movement often fear that losing face time with their coworkers and managers can have a real impact on their work relationships and potential promotions.
Globetrotting professionals need not fear becoming a faceless name on an email account, however. With the rise of portable video conferencing solutions, powerful laptops, and readily available tools to find workspaces around the world, productivity isn’t just about the time you spend at your desk anymore.
Below, find some of the best tools for digital nomads to work on the go:
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While laptops are great for portability and often just as powerful as their desk-bound tower counterparts, they often saddle you with a low quality webcam, microphone and speakers that are hard to hear in all but the quietest workspaces.
The Logitech C925e is a wide-angle, 1080p webcam with dual stereo microphones, forward-facing speakers, and automatic light adjustment to keep your calls clear and professional no matter where you’re calling from. -
If you’re traveling with an iPad pro, but still need to write blog content, reviews, or answer emails, you’ll likely want to upgrade from the on-screen keyboard to a real set of keys.
CREATE keyboard cases for 12.9” or 9.7” iPad Pro connect and draw power through the Smart Connector®, meaning the keyboard never needs to be charged or paired, and your connection will stay stable even in loud network environments like airports and co-working spaces. -
Whether you’re introducing clients to your team back home or consulting with small businesses, some digital nomads need to capture a room on their video calls.
The Logitech ConferenceCam CONNECT is a highly portable all-in-one video speakerphone with an internal battery that can run for 3 hours on video or 15 hours as a speakerphone, packing all the quality of a conference call in a small, portable package.
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Some digital nomads use nothing more than a phone or tablet on an average work day. This makes for an effortlessly portable workspace, but making international calls from your phone can give you a significant drop in audio quality and awkward video angles.
The Logitech P710e is an portable wireless speakerphone for your phone or tablet with up to 15 hours of talk time between charges. With acoustic echo and noise cancellation and a cradle to hold your phone or tablet at the perfect angle for video, and you’ll see significant improvement in your call quality. -
If you are using just a smartphone or tablet for most of your work, you’re often faced with either powering through a couple of long emails with just your thumbs each day, or lugging around a keyboard you’ll only use for one message.
Instead, pack light with a keyboard you can stash away until you need it. Ultra thin and portable, Logitech Keys-To-Go is the perfect Bluetooth® travel keyboard with a durable, spill-proof FabricSkin cover and a 3 month battery life.
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When traveling, every extra item and pound counts, so tools that fill multiple roles are a always better. If it can blur the line between entertainment and productivity, all the better.
The UE BOOM 2 is a fully waterproof bluetooth speaker that will survive sandy beaches, snow, rain, mud, and more. 15 hours of battery life means you can have a soundtrack for your full workday and plenty more, and with its built-in microphone the UE BOOM 2 can double as a speakerphone for your conference calls.
Modern tools make anywhere you can connect to the internet a potential workspace. There are a number of location-flexible jobs available today, and the digital nomad job market is growing in certain key fields. Now may be the best time to pack light, pack smart, and start your adventure as a digital nomad.
